


New Beginnings

by imayoshis



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2019-06-19 23:20:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15520926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imayoshis/pseuds/imayoshis
Summary: Tenzō cut his hair really short after Kakashi left ANBU as a way to represent that he wants a new start, a new him, a new life without Kakashi.





	New Beginnings

It has been months since Kakashi left ANBU, and it has probably been the longest months of Tenzō’s life. The days felt long, and the nights felt longer. He knows he needs a change now that his captain is gone. Granted, everything is already different.

He misses those random mornings when Kakashi would show up unannounced and the nights his Senpai would invite him over for dinner. But that is just outside of ANBU headquarters. The locker room feels emptier now and a different ninja has already taken his captain’s - ex captain’s old locker. The hardest thing he had to adjust to was the fact that he is captain of the squad now. At first, it was an honor to be the one to take Kakashi’s place, but now, he is not quite sure where to start on how he feels. Some days he was frustrated and some days he was... lonely.

Missions actually went by smoother. Practically no mistakes or casualties and well, problems occurred more often with Kakashi in charge. He supposes he cannot complain there, but things still feel off. Like a void. He never really expected to feel so alone. No one to rely on like him. The other team mates did not feel the same.

Kakashi was just a damn thorn in his side. He had no idea why he can still be moping about Kakashi leaving. It was like a bad break up without being told he was dumped. His Senpai did not seemed fazed to leave either. It almost looked like the man did not care. It killed Tenzō and broke his heart in two. Maybe their relationship really did not matter. There was no friendship. Just teammates. No team, then... they might as well be strangers.

Oh well. He will get over it.

Time to start a new day, another day without Kakashi. He drags himself to the bathroom to get ready. He stares at the mirror for a solid minute. His eyes travel to his hair that stop just above his shoulders.

 _“Your hair looks nice.”_ Kakashi’s voice echoes in his head, but the compliment did not feel the same now. Maybe it was because it was just a memory. Or maybe because he did not like his hair anymore. For the longest time, he kept his hair long. Only about a couple of years ago that he decided to cut it to shoulder length. The really long length reminded him of Root, so a new hairstyle helped him adjust to his new identity as Tenzō and leave behind Kinoe.

It might be time for a new identity. This time he won’t change his name, but he will be sure that it will be a new him. He already knows things are changing, but this new life without Kakashi and him having this independence was something he never experienced. Changing his hairstyle could... possibly help him move forward.

———

“So, how would you like your hair cut?” The barber stands behind Tenzō as they both look into the mirror. “Same style with a trim? You look like you keep your hair longer.” The barber was right, but Tenzō wanted something different. He no longer wanted to see those long chestnut brown locks curtain his face. He wanted it all gone.

“I want it short.” He states vaguely. He never had a very short haircut so he did not know what to say to make it clearer.

“How short do you want to go? Just past the ears maybe?”

“I want it all gone.”

“Shaved gone?”

“Yes.”

“How about a six on the top and a four on the sides and back?”

“Sure,” Tenzō agrees but he did not know what the numbers meant. Surely, it cannot be too short. Even if it was... it is just hair. It will grow back.

“Okay, do you want the bottom squared or rounded?”

“Square,” He also did not know what that even meant. Getting his haircut started sounding pretty scary with these questions. Tenzō swallows, trying to push back his anxiety. It is just hair. He will be fine. He hears the razor click on and start buzzing, and the barber begins.

———

Tenzō did not even look at his reflection after the haircut. He went straight home to wash his hair and get rid of the loose cut hair that lingered on him. He wanted to scrub away everything that reminded him of his luscious long hair. He is a new person now. He does not need those memories.

The next few days, he received many comments. More than he anticipated, and honestly, he had originally hoped nobody would say anything. Even people he barely talked to had to put in their own input, and surprisingly, not a single person said anything negative. He wondered what Kakashi would think. His Senpai probably would not compliment him at all, and just ask why he cut it. The thought gave him a bitter feeling. He did not want Kakashi’s opinions. He is a new Tenzō, and this Tenzō does not have Kakashi in his life.

“Nice haircut, Tenzō.”

“Short hair looks pretty good on you, Captain.”

“The hairstyle compliments you.”

“I like the new look, Tenzō.”

The comments are never ending, and it made him feel good. He is Tenzō. Just Tenzō. He is not in his Senpai’s shadow anymore. He is not Kakashi and Tenzō. He is not the kid who followed Kakashi around. He is not Kakashi’s favorite. He is himself and that is it. It gave him this confidence he has not had since he left Root. This is it. The thing he wanted.

A new start. A new identity. A new life... without Kakashi.

It is as if the man had died, and that still hurts him when he is home alone and he remembers how much he misses his friend - his best friend. His apartment is so empty and lifeless now. Maybe he should not have gotten so accustomed to the man being around.

Usually around this time of night, Tenzō would be at Kakashi’s apartment surrounded by his ninken and getting ready to eat dinner. Pakkun would be sitting on Tenzō’s lap as they have normal small talk. Kakashi would probably have him and the ninken taste test his food to see if it needs a little more something. When the dinner is done cooking, they would all sit together and eat... like a family.

That is what he missed. Kakashi is not just his Senpai, his captain, his best friend, but the closest thing he has ever come to having family. It made his heart ache. How could he let that just slip through his fingers? He is starting to realize cutting his hair is not going to fill the void he lost. Is there any way to fix this feeling? This emptiness?

———

Tenzō’s feet are leading the way, and he cannot talk himself out of turning around. His mission just ended and he was supposed to head back to ANBU headquarters, but somehow, he finds himself walking up to the memorial stone that Kakashi visits religiously.

His mind keeps telling himself to leave, but his heart prays that his old friend is there. His heart longed for this so much that even his brain eventually gave out. He has wanted to see Kakashi for so long. He could never bring himself to visit his Senpai’s apartment, because he still carried too much pride to admit it to the man out loud. Tenzō feels like he is in some type of stalemate where neither party is willing to put aside their differences and just talk. But at this very moment, maybe just maybe he can run into Kakashi “on accident”. 

Tenzō can see a figure standing in front of the memorial stone in a typical Jōnin outfit. He sucks in and holds his breath as he gets closer. They slouched with their head hung low, but he recognized that posture and that messy silver hair. His heart skips a beat when he finally processes the person before him is in fact Kakashi Hatake. He breathes out as the man’s voice hits his ears.

“Were you waiting for me?” Kakashi asks without even looking back. That stung.

“No, just passing by, Senpai.” Tenzō walks out a little further and pulls off his ANBU mask.

“Are you here to make fun of me for babysitting? And you don’t need to call me Senpai anymore. I’m no longer ANBU.” The copy nin still does not turn around. Tenzō frowns. Did Kakashi really think that low of him? That he would just make fun of him?

“No, not at all, and you will always be Senpai, Senpai.” He takes a few steps further, closing the gap between them a little. He stops about two meters away from Kakashi.

“Oh, well, I have to go.” Kakashi turns around, his gaze stays toward the ground. Kakashi walks right past Tenzō without a single glance.

“You say that, but you are already very late to meeting your genin team.” Tenzō says this, now with his back to Kakashi. He lets a soft smile spread across his features, feeling a tad more relaxed than he has felt in months. His old friend did not even look at him, but somehow his voice still put him at ease.

“Yeah, Yeah. I’ll see you later.” Tenzō’s eyes widen when he hears the last sentence. Kakashi has never once said that before. The man always treated goodbyes as if that was the last time they ever saw each other. Did something change in him?

“He will see me later?” Tenzō says this absentmindedly, letting the words slip off his tongue. Later. A simple word, but it gave him hope that maybe all he lost was not actually lost. He spins around and stares at Kakashi’s back as he walks away. The Jōnin vest looks bulky compared to his old ANBU outfit, but it looked nice. A change. A good change. “Senpai... did you notice anything change about me?” Kakashi stops and looks back at him. Their eyes finally meet after so many months of not seeing each other.

“You cut your hair, but you are still Tenzō.” Kakashi states this as he turns his whole body around. He did not give a compliment or ask a question like Tenzō had assumed would happen. “Did you notice anything change about me?”

“Your outfit changed, but you are still Kakashi-Senpai.” Surely, there was more change than that between the two of them, but Tenzō understood what Kakashi meant. Life is different now, but they are still who they always been. Kakashi is Kakashi. Tenzō is Tenzō. And that was quite possibly the most comforting thing the young ANBU needed to hear. He is still himself after everything.

“Come over tonight.” Kakashi stuffs his hands into his pockets and turns around to face away from the younger man again. “I missed you.”

Three words. Just three is all Tenzō needed, and Kakashi said it. It made everything in the world feel so much lighter, and his worries he held onto since Kakashi left evaporated just like that. It truly is such an amazing feeling to know the man did care.

“Okay, I’ll see you tonight then... and I missed you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> I said I was going to work on Please Stay, but I slipped and wrote a tiny one shot. Oops. I just have a little headcanon that Tenzo cut his hair for symbolic reasons because once Kakashi left ANBU, the next time we see Tenzo his hair is short. I mean it could just because he wanted to cut his hair but lmao I wanted to expand my headcanon a tad.......


End file.
